


Try, Try Again

by psykotisk



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: & having to get the love of your life back on your side, Alternative realities, Blood & Gore, Blue Lions Hubert, F/M, Reality Jumping, Violence, a pretty gruesome beginning to be honest, but he gets dimitri as a best friend so yay?, dying & death, having to fight everything you were raised to believe in, life is rough for hubes, man what a rough hand hubert was dealt, time travelling, trying to convince your wife from another timeline to love you again, while everyone distrusts him!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-23 08:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psykotisk/pseuds/psykotisk
Summary: It is the final battle of the war in which Edelgard and Dimitri face off against one another in a horrific fight to the death at Enbarr.Hubert, alongside his beloved wife Byleth, join the fray and fight besides their Emperor, unfortunately meeting their disastrous ends in the process.It seems like everything is lost, except Hubert awakens in a very familiar place that seems to insist every part of the battle was a cruel dream.Just what exactly is going on?!
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 16
Kudos: 49





	1. Before It All Went Wrong

Edelgard shrieked from her perch at her throne at the very zenith of the Imperial Palace when she caught sight of Dimitri forcing himself with ease far through her ranks. Adrestian soldiers weakly attempted to beat the king back, but the one eyed beast came charging through the group as if they were little more than just an army of paper cut outs. Her Majesty raised one of her long, grotesque arms, claws twitching in eagerness as she pointed toward her one true enemy and an inhuman sound racked through her chest, already too far gone to offer words before the Boar king and she engaged in their ultimate battle.

Hubert had only just succeeded in fighting away another large group from Faerghus' army, the last of the men in blue had succumbed to Hubert's cruel and vile magics before collapsing into a pile of broken limbs when the dark mage heard the call of his Lady.

His own form ached miserably with a multitude of searing lacerations, broken bones, and bruised limbs - yet, he had somehow fared better than the rest of the lot, he realized when looking around at the few who were left of his friends and allies, still fighting valiantly in the name of Edelgard. But, his eyes were at once distracted by a blur of moving fur and black armor when he saw the blonde king reach the staircase that led to the foot of Edelgard's throne.

Hubert broke out in a cold sweat - the end of this bloody war was upon them already. With one strike, one way or another, the battle would be won or lost and history would be made. He groaned as his body fought against him, his every muscle convulsing in pain and strain as he forced one foot in front of the other, racing as quickly as he could manage to get to her Majesty's aid. 

As Dimitri set his first boot on the bottom most stair, Edelgard released a horrific roar that set the battlefield silent. The blood was pounding so feverishly in Hubert's ears that he was deaf to the words that were leaving the King's mouth, but by the enraged reactions of his Emperor, Hubert knew just what Dimitri must have been saying.

" _This has gone on long enough! Give up your regime, Edelgard! Admit defeat and call off your troops and you will not be harmed. It does not have to end this way!"_

The dark mage shook in fear as a hand grabbed a hold of his shoulder. He momentarily glanced away from the horrific battle that was only just beginning and found his old professor and now dearest love, Byleth, gripping onto his cloak. The green haired girl looked nowhere near as weathered as him and it gave him a surge of strength to be in her company. She took his gloved hand in his and gave him the most heart-wrenching look, and suddenly that strength was gone. In the bizarre silence that had set through the room, Byleth leaned against him and spoke with her mouth pressed against Hubert's ear exactly what he feared to hear most, with her being only too intelligent and too observant for her own good.

"You've over expended yourself! You'll die if you try anything more! Wait here and keep watch, Edelgard needs you, but you… Hubert, you can't! I… Hubert, we have no choice. I - I'll have to suffice in your place."

And before he could utter a single word, the girl pressed a kiss to his gaunt cheek and she raced up the staircase to face Dimitri, standing defiantly with the Sword of the Creator raised high by their Emperor's side.

A sickening feeling crept up Hubert's throat as he realized his wife was standing where he should have been, ready to take the worst brunt the battle would offer. A choking feeling wrapped around his throat as he limped forward, his damned body barely having enough strength to propel himself to the base of the stairs set at the opposite side of Edelgard's throne. Though he trembled with such weakness, he forced himself forward, climbing upward on his hands and knees like an animal to reach the two women he loved more than anything in the entirety of the world.

With each step, he lost more and more of his breath. With his every cough, more and more blood stained his once white gloves. Hubert was only too aware that he was in the act of dying, but with little time he had left, he knew what he had to do. In his recent battles, the mage had pushed himself far past his limits and it was proving now to be his very downfall. After all, he had put so much of his own energy into his magic that he had begun destroying his own form in order to conjure his spells and drive his enemies away. His heart, his blood, his muscles, his brain and even the air in his lungs had lended themselves to his power when his magics were fading fast, just so that he could repel the last waves of enemy warriors and keep Edelgard safe and away from harm, even while knowing the fearsome king approached her throne, each second that much closer to their final destiny.

He could feel his chest constricting in horrific, labored pain as each breath thinned more than the last. It was as if he was climbing Fódlan's highest mountain rather than ascending a rather sad flight of stairs. But, with what little energy remained in his goddess forsaken body, Hubert marched forward and continued ever on. His muscles screamed as he neared the top, his feeble body howling in agony as he forced himself to stand and more blood gurgled up from his throat, briefly knocking the air out of him.

Hubert fell to his knees, gasping uselessly for air. He grabbed at his throat and these terribly odd, painful but calming surges rushed through his form - which he could only assume were his organs shutting down. One by one, his bodily functions slowed and stilled until all that was left was the slowing pounding of his heart that demanded _he take one step more_ and his foolish, overheating brain that begged he _rise from the ground_.

A frantic fluttering in his chest took hold of him and Hubert fought still to take in one last breath, his eyes wide and gaping, blind to the world around him as he did his damndest to stay alive.

He thought of his wife, his duties, his Emperor and he bit deep into his tongue - trying to bring control back to his dying body - blood spilling out of his teeth as he forced himself on his elbows. He needed to stand, he needed to fight, he needed just one last chance to protect and serve her Majesty, if that was the last thing he could do… but still, his doomed body forced him downward, his head slamming against the ground and his gloved hands digging uselessly at the floor as his weakened form collapsed and gave in.

With a weak moan, a sudden all consuming blackness struck across Hubert's senses, the last of his life slowly leaving his pathetic form, all while the first strike of battle had been lashed out.

_It was…_

_peaceful._

_It was dark._

_It was warm._

_It was the end of the line._

_But it was not yet his time._

All at once, Hubert was pulled back into his body, gasping and choking as he rolled over on the cold, unforgiving stone floor. The mage found himself inhaling a never ending stream of blood from his torn tongue, through which he could only suck in one then two and one then two slow feeble breaths. It wasn't much and it wouldn't last him long as his lungs filled ever more with his own life sustaining fluid, but the man still had some form of precious energy buried deep, deep within him and it was enough for one last deed. He was determined to stand at Edelgard's side and to die while gripping tightly to his wife's hand, otherwise death be damned.

 _Hubert von Vestra would_ **_not_ ** _be taken before he was ready to go._

He strode on, his legs barely able to keep him upright, despite his closening demise, his broken body numb and slow while every step filled with pride and purpose as he reached the throne. He gripped tightly to the sides of the golden chair as he toppled forward against it and he watched with a panicked gaze as he finally took in the scene of the battle.

Edelgard had plunged her beautiful dagger deep into Dimitri's shoulder and the king stumbled backwards, gazing in something akin to disinterest in his freshly stabbed wound, his weapon-less hand tracing the break in his armor. Edelgard began to laugh, a deep horrific sound that shook the chandeliers and echoed through the deadly silent halls as the King paled.

_Had she already won?_

_Could it… could it even be possible?_

_It was… over?..._

_But_ **_no_**!

The king suddenly struck out with his raging lance, his powerful form lashed out at Edelgard with a strike that would land right at her heart. Hubert could just barely raise his hand, his own powers refusing to rise at his command to deflect the blow.

_Oh goddess, this was it - !!_

Hubert clenched his eyes shut at the lance met its mark, his heart squeezing in horrendous agony as he heard that unmistakable sound of metal meeting flesh and his childhood friend let out a mournful cry and -

_But wait -_

_That voice…_

_That_ **_wasn't_ ** _Edelgard._

The mage ripped his eyes open and gazed at the horrific scene frozen before him. His breath was torn from his lungs as his sight found his beloved Byleth impaled on the end of Dimitri's relic lance, Areadbhar, her petite form crushed by Edelgard's monstrous hand, who had clearly chosen to use their old professor as a human shield. Bile rose ruthlessly in his throat as his wife's body went limp, his sight blurring and his hearing fading fast as Dimitri shouted something in a feverish panic - or perhaps it could have been a sound that was tearing through the mage's very own chest, unbeknownst to him even - and Edelgard ripped the girl off of his lance, while she was bleeding, weeping and fighting for air all the while. With little more than a chuckle, the Emperor threw Byleth to the side, like a mere unwanted rag doll, and the monster advanced again on the King.

_But, it didn't matter._

_Nothing mattered anymore_.

Everything Hubert had ever known died right in that instant, the moment Edelgard had chosen to save her own life by ending another's.

Because it wasn't just anyone.

 _It was_ **_Byleth_ ** _._

He had never willingly acknowledged it before, but the suddenness of the moment made the truth that much more clear.

Byleth had become the highest concern in his life.

Hubert watched in sickened terror as his wife's body fell slack just besides the throne, landing on her back, allowing her pale face to stare up at the high ceiling, her mouth quivering as she drew in her last breaths and her insides bloomed outward of the huge hole that was torn in her middle.

Hubert stumbled besides Byleth, gently taking her mangled body in his arms. He held her tightly against his own broken form as their life forces extinguished - albeit one much faster than the other -, their wounds and blood becoming a single puddle beneath them both. He was only dimly aware that his mouth was moving and he was speaking, saying some phrase over and over again, but it was almost as if he had no control over himself and he continued babbling on.

" _It's ok, it's ok, it's going to be ok, it's ok, it's ok, it's going ok.._ "

Hubert's hands shook uncontrollably as he brushed her wild hair away from her face, just so that he could see her deep green eyes one last time before they both perished. He smiled weakly with blood dripping from his lips as tears began to pour over his vision while he watched the girl's hand slowly extended and reached out to his slanting cheek, her flesh feeling frighteningly cold and clammy to the touch. A deep pit tore open in his gut and a strangled sob ripped through his throat as their eyes made contact, the color in hers fading all the while.

"Hubert, It - _gasp! -_ it can't end this way," her voice was barely a whisper, he strained to hear it even as he bent forward and her mouth met his ear.

"I know, I know, I know, _I know_ !" He babbled, barely able to shut himself up long enough to say something more important, shaking his head wildly as he fought to deny that this was occuring. "Byleth, I love you and I failed you! I am so sorry - that should have been _me!!_ "

"But - _gasp -_ but, this! I did - did this because last t - time it _was_ you. This - this wasn't supposed to happen now," her eyes rolled languidly in her head as she forced out each word. "I thought - thought I fixed it."

"'This time?'" He sobbed, blood spurting from his mouth onto her destroyed body as he spoke, fearing more with each second that he would never understand his love's last words. "Byleth, what do you mean?"

"Next time, none - _gasp! -_ none of this can happen," Byleth hissed out, her voice becoming harder and harder to control. "I tried to stop her. If peace isn't made, if Dimitri f - falls, Edelgard's rule will be disa - disastrous. And it seems one of us is bound to die - _gasp_ \- no… no matter what. There _must_ be peace."

"But - Byleth, what - ?" His bleary eyes searched her dying gaze, unaware that her hand was slowly reaching out to his face again. He clamped his mouth shut over his aching tongue as her chilled flesh pressed against him, her fingers gripping weakly onto him.

"Hubert, next time - _gasp_ \- you… you must ma - make sure… Edelgard doesn't win."

" _What?!"_ He barked, his body shuddering as his blood loss and injuries caught up with him. "But, Byleth - !!"

"It seems, y - you…. You are th - the only one who can stop her…" Byleth's hand fell away from his face and sick wave of nausea and sorrow raged through the dark mage as the girl took in her final breath. Knowing he had been tied inexplicably to her life force, he felt his own lungs finally giving way to the blood that had long since saturated them, as well.

His eyes closed and his body slowly slumped against Byleth's, his grip on her body weakening as they both succumbed in their final battles. His head lolled and his vision dimmed, that welcoming darkness prickled at his senses and was bidding him away as Byleth's weak voice spoke one final time: "I believe in… _you."_

His heart leapt into his throat, an overabundance of ungiven love and unspoken words pelted his numbing brain, but... it was too late.

_She was already gone._

In his misery of losing the one person that mattered to him, Hubert released a final choked breath and he silenced, feeling himself being pulled quite suddenly out of his own body. His eyesight faded completely to black, his hearing silenced pleasantly, and the last words having now left Byleth's lips, they together left their fragile, perishable forms behind in a mournful embrace, close by where a fresh battle waged between a monster and a man - one that would ultimately lead to the end of Fódlan one day, not too far in the future.

Because, no matter who won, in this battle, there would be no winner besides those who died and would never have to see what became of the world afterwards and the nightmare that the survivors would soon face.

The monster that took the throne drove the masses towards violence and battles, risking life after life in a meaningless war that would never end until life ceased to be any more. Battle after battle, death waited patiently, as it does, and it took its sweet time slowly picking every soul fresh off of the battlefields and plains and towns until Fódlan was stilled and life across the land had finally come to its merciful end.

* * *

Hubert awoke with a gasping breath heaving from the greatest depth in his chest, far beyond the realms of both the living and the dead. He clawed at the flannel sheets that were tangled around him, superheating his blazing hot form and seemingly choking him off from his precious air supply, and he ripped the covers off of himself in a panicked hurry. The mage leapt to his bare feet and stumbled across the room, leaning against the cool stone wall as he brought more and more air into his lungs, all too aware that he was, in fact, not dead in the very slightest and he was somewhere very warm, rather welcoming and incredibly familiar.

Hubert coughed, trying desperately to clear his aching throat as his gracious lungs filled themselves over and over again to his great relief, and he gazed around in wonder at what surely was his old room at Garegg Mach. He steadied himself against his desk and slowed his breathing as he attempted to center himself and kill the anxious panic that was creeping languidly over his overly confused mind.

He was alive and somewhere safe and, for right at that moment, that was all he needed to know.

Hubert sighed and leaned back against the wall, laughing foolishly as the hammering in his chest finally began to calm.

He was alive - _hell, he felt even better than ever!_ \- and he was back at the monastery.

Though he had no idea what had occurred that brought him from dying at the foot of Edelgard's throne to waking in his old academy bed, Hubert didn't give a single, solid damn - he was _home._

_It had to have all been a dream!_

Chuckling to himself, Hubert pressed his hands against his face, thrilled to find his body had a delightful physical quality to it that was just a tad too realistic for any one of his dreams, before carefully pinching one of his arms - and yelping out - when he realized that he was awake and still very much so alive.

Everything was ok.

He was fine.

It was all just a nightmare.

But still…

Even as he calmed, Hubert knew something was intrinsically wrong.

Something felt… _off_.

He tried to put a name to this odd feeling, but could only compare it to something as simple as stepping into a pair of boots that you knew were not your own.

The shoe was too small. The fit was too pinched. The laces were tied in all the wrong manner.

It was just... wrong.

The mage searched his mind and realized what the metaphorical boots had to have been.

It was his nightmare.

That nightmare, if that's what it really was, felt far too realistic. There were too many specific details he could remember right off the bat, such as when they were preparing for the battle and all - including the number of soldiers and specific divisions that had been set protectively around the throne room, the inventory level of the various weapons that were to be provided to their army before the start of battle, and even up to that horrible moment when the first guard broke into the throne room to announce Dimitri's arrival - there was no way all of _that_ was fake.

His mind reeled backwards and the room spun maddeningly out of control as he all too clearly recalled details, events and ordeals that took place in the years leading up to the day he died.

It was everything from his days as a student up to the battle where Byleth went missing and every day in between. Next, he thought back on the miserable, lonely years leading up to Byleth's return and to the simple, but lovely wedding the two had together. Then, there were the days upon days where they two spent studying battleplans alongside her Majesty and each and every concluding night that he spent besides his wife leading up to that fateful day when he died. He could still easily recite each law, governance and decree that he and Edelgard planned to enact once Dimitri had fallen or otherwise admitted defeat in order to put order to what would be a rather chaotic continent.

Likewise, he could vividly remember simple events out of his life, from the first time he had tea with his professor - and what an awkward time _that_ had been! - to the first time he tried using her name instead of her title and even the very first time he took her in his arms and her lips graced his own. Then, there was that beautiful night at Manor von Vestra, merely weeks before the battle at Enbarr, when he returned late from a meeting with her Majesty, the Emperor, and Byleth raced to his arms to announce that they were expecting and even how they spent the entire night until sunrise lying in each other's arms, dreaming of their uncertain future and deciding upon the name of what would be their first born child.

It was all too detailed, too clear, too...

_Real._

This couldn't be possible - he had lived his young life very fully and he most certainly had _died._

It had most definitely happened - there was no possible way he could imagine anything so inexplicably painful or realistic as what he experienced when he attempted to join Edelgard's side in battle with the Boar King - so why did he suddenly wind up here in his old room, feeling completely fine and plenty alive?

There were no wounds on his body, no dressings or broken limbs to be found, nor could he find a single scar marring his alabaster skin - even though he so clearly remembered his arms and chest littered with the physical memories of the battles he survived in the years leading up to and through the war itself.

It was all so overwhelmingly odd.

He was most certainly alive and wholly intact - even more so than he was the morning of the battle at Enbarr, at that.

 _What exactly was going on_?

Hubert gazed around his room, hungry for answers, and his eyes slowly traced over the spines of the well-worn books that were stored on top of his desk - he couldn't help himself as a smile took to his thin lips as charming memories of his student days fluttered by. He slowly stood and gazed briefly out of its lovely view, watching as early morning broke over the horizon. Lively green trees bristled in the wind and the low droll of bells rang off, slowly announcing the start of the day.

As he watched the last of night drift into a beautiful morning, it slowly dawned on Hubert that the monastery had not appeared in such pristine and undamaged condition since _before_ the war began.

_Was it possible that…_

_He might have…_

_Gone back in time?_

_No..._

_No, no, no!_

He laughed fearfully to himself as he attempted to appease his own mind and announce that there was no way what he was thinking could possibly be true.

He couldn't _possibly_ be back in time!

… Could he?

Hubert had borne witness to many strange things in his own life, he rationalized calmly, so it was possible he could be mistaken - though his subconscious was clearly still not convinced of this being so.

A cold sweat broke over his brow as he began moving around the meager furniture in his room and he shuffled hastily through his clothes, as if he would somehow find a clue to what was going on, but to no avail. Though he did locate his old officer's academy uniforms in oddly pristine condition among many of the scrolls and tomes he had studied dutifully when he had first joined the academy alongside Edelgard, he could not find anything that would disprove his time changing theory, at all.

If anything, his search only concluded that the impossible was most likely the most real outcome.

_How was that even possible?!_

Everything seemed to be too fresh, too new and rather like…

It was all pointing in the same direction - that he had somehow gone _backward_ in time.

Hubert quickly retrieved a small mirror he used to keep at his desk - which he had lost _long ago_ and now just as a happy incident was waiting exactly where he kept it during his time as a student - and after flashing it towards his face, his blood instantly chilled and his flesh pricked to life with dark energy.

_There was no way that could be him!_

Without thinking, the mage screamed and threw the mirror recklessly across the room.

His hair! His face! Hell, even his old sleeping clothes!

_There was no way - !!_

Goddess above, there was no other way around it - he was somehow _younger!_

While attempting to settle his frantic heart, the mage forced himself across his room and he gently picked up the now cracked mirror and could only gaze in terror at his reflection.

It was true.

He looked to be somewhat near _five years younger_ than he was when he had woken up the prior morning.

_How was this even remotely possible?!_

He ran his fingers through his long, dark tangle of hair and stared deeply into his own bright green eyes, trying to see if he could get his reflection to flinch or otherwise unsynchronize from his moments, as if to prove there was a false double in the mirror's reflection, yet his reflection was as tame and obedient as ever.

Feeling emotionally winded and fatigued, the mage sat down on his bed and crossed his arms as he considered what could possibly be going on.

He needed help - he _needed_ Byleth.

He needed to speak to her, to talk with her and together they'd be able to sort everything out, as they always did for as long as he could be with Byleth, everything would be fine in the end.

With no time to waste, Hubert quickly leapt to his feet and ran to his door. He hadn't even stepped into a pair of boots when he chose to rip the door open, gasping in surprise as it revealed a very human, very angry, and very young looking Edelgard who had quite obviously been caught right in the middle of knocking on his door.

_What exactly was going on?!_

"Oh, Edelgard! Good morning!" Was he shouting? He wasn't intending to, but it definitely sounded like he was shouting. "What - uh, - what are you doing here?"

"'What am I doing here?'' She chuckled as she eyed his sleeping attire and bare feet. "I heard a loud ruckus in your room and wanted to check on you, are you alright?"

Hubert's stomach twisted in discomfort as he looked over her Majesty, only able to recall the gruesome, monstrous features of her evil, too far gone future self. For the first time in his entire life, the mage realized he could not trust her.

He could not reveal the truth to Edelgard.

He had to _lie._

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. And, sorry, but I'm actually quite in a rush. Do you know where I might be able to find Byleth at this time of day? I urgently need to speak with her."

"Do you mean Professor Byleth?" Edelgard scoffed in disinterest. "How would I know and why on Fódlan would you need to speak to the Blue Lion's teacher?"

His stomach flipped as he ever so slowly digested her words. "She - she teaches the Blue Lions?" He felt as though he lost his breath and a bit of his heart in the process of speaking the bizarre truth he had just been faced with - a reality where Byleth had chosen to be the teacher to the Blue Lions rather than the Black Eagles, as had been the simple truth in the reality that he had grown quite accustomed to.

Edelgard passed him a rather suspicious glare. "Yes, she's the professor of Dimitri and the rest of his team. Hubert, are you feeling ok? You seem… off, for lack of a better word."

"I'm - I'm fine," he answered carefully, though he was quite anything but fine and it dawned on the young man that he had, in fact, gone back in time yet it seemed that he had also somehow been transported into a different timeline all together. He nodded all too quickly and passed her Majesty a far too overly eager smile.

"Really?" She pressed, clearly not believing his pitiful display of an attempt at good humor.

"I'm perfectly ok," he lied again with a fake smile plastered perfectly on his face. "Everything is... just fine."


	2. Rough Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so after hearing enough interested & positive comments, I thought I might as well give it a shot & get going into this story!
> 
> So, here's chapter two, where everything only gets worse for poor Hubert...
> 
> But don't worry, it'll all work out in the end... right?

After eventually dismissing Edelgard's concern with a rather pathetic attempt at retaining his composure, her Majesty was easily convinced that Hubert was really, quite fine and she casually returned to her room to rest a bit longer until class started, as if nothing out of the norm had ever happened in the first place. Though he was disappointed by how little Edelgard cared about him in this odd situation, her returning to her room thankfully gave Hubert the freedom to quietly dress and leave his room while escaping her Monsterousness' notice and track down the love of his life, who would hopefully be just as confused about this mess as he was, before he could alert anyone else that something all too weird, strange and bizarre was going on.

With the greatest of ease, thanks to his years of working in the shadows, the dark mage slunk silently through the second floor hallway of the dormitories, as if he were a shadow himself, while he carefully made his way to Byleth's old room - er, well, more like _current_ room, as it is. Though morning had already dawned, it seemed like the whole world had chosen to sleep in and Hubert couldn't have been more grateful that he didn't cross a soul on his short journey downstairs, as he was already so close to losing his mind, as it was.

But, he was certain that if he could just see Byleth's beautiful - albeit rather emotionless - face once again, his soul would be calmed and the two would figure out a plan for how to manage their new, odd lot in life.

As long as he was at her side, everything would be fine, he assured himself for the umpteenth time as he slowly approached her door. He was about to grab a hold of the handle and help himself in, but he instead froze as his hand connected with the door. The mage's blood went absolutely ice cold as he considered that perhaps, just like Edelgard, Byleth too might not have any memories of their past life together.

There was the horrifyingly realistic chance that she might be a completely different person from the woman he had given his life to. After all, this time - _ugh_ , what an odd thought! _'This time…'_ Will there be another time after this, even? What a terrifying thought… Best not to dwell on it for now - Byleth must have bonded with Dimitri and chose to be the Blue Lion's professor rather than how, in his own memory, Edelgard and Byleth connected straight from the get go, which led her to her accepting the position with the Black Eagles - as it _should_ have been -, resulting in the life he had lived and loved at his wife's side.

But, considering Byleth held the incredible power over the Divine Pulse, there might even be the slight chance that the goddess might have allowed Byleth to retain her memory even after their grisly deaths at Enbarr, which brought a calming wave of peace to Hubert's racing mind. With his gloved hand still latched tightly around the door handle, the dark mage could only laugh at himself, for he realized he had been in this same spot once before, utterly frozen in front of Byleth's door the first time he had ever bashfully asked her to accompany him on an evening walk, which led into their first kiss and the start of their beautiful relationship.

In his past life, Hubert had been brave enough to step forward and knock on her door, yet this time, the task of meeting with the woman behind the oppressive door seemed that much more daunting.

But, he _had_ to do it, he _had_ to know if she remembered anything and he _had_ to see her again.

He cursed his weak and foolish heart before briskly knocking on her door - rather than bursting in unannounced, which could result in a _major_ problem, should Byleth _not_ remember anything, he rationalized -, and waiting the dreadfully long seconds it took for her to approach and open her door.

And, when she did, Hubert's heart soared straight into the cloudless sky the very moment he laid eyes on her, in all of her glory and remarkable navy blue hair.

"Hubert," Byleth's voice was distant and breathless as she looked the mage over - probably shocked to be staring at a younger version of her husband, he assumed - and that was all he needed for him to regain his confidence.

In one very fluid movement, Hubert stepped forward into her room - her eyes widening in happiness as he approached her - and he wrapped his arms around his loving wife, pulling her tightly against his form as his hands gripped desperately onto her. He gently peppered the top of her head in kisses, totally unable to stop himself from tearing up as he repeated her name over and over again.

"Byleth, Byleth, Byleth…! Goddess, you're the most beautiful being to ever walk this cursed world!" One of his hands was running through her dark hair while his other held protectively against the small of her back as he directed her inwards, deeper into her room. He forcefully kicked the door shut as they passed the threshold and in the heat of the moment, he chose to steal a deep kiss against her pursed lips.

He easily dipped his tongue into her mouth and he eagerly anticipated her passionate response in return, which made it that much more jarring when a sound that could only be described as a horrified shriek peeled through Byleth's throat and she bit down hard on his tongue.

And, all at once, the moment was _completely_ ruined.

Hubert's resulting scream was muffled against Byleth's lips as an unforgivingly sharp pain hit his nervous system and the metallic - and, unfortunately, very familiar - taste of blood met his senses. It was a brief struggle as the two attempted to detangle themselves from one another, but Byleth eventually found purchase on Hubert's form and pushed hard against his chest, sending him sprawling backwards, cowering with his back against her shut door.

"Hubert! What in Seiros' name do you think you're doing?!" She shrieked, drawing the blade at her thigh and pointing it his way, even as her cheeks turned beat red. He watched her in muted horror while she wiped furiously at her mouth, attempting to rid herself of any evidence of Hubert's blood or saliva from her face. "Barging into a professor's room and forcing yourself on her? What kind of dastardly fiend are you?!"

"Y - you don't remember," Hubert gaped at the woman, completely at a loss for words. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

A small trail of blood was dripping down her pink lips as Byleth stood there, panting heavily. "Remember what?" The woman asked, attempting to decipher the dark mage's odd response, her tone suddenly a lot less aggressive than only a moment ago. "What are you talking about?"

Hubert's heart hammered as he recognized the uncertainty in her eyes, quickly noting that she was lowering her dagger while the two exchanged glances.

"Byleth, I - we need to talk. Something terrible has happened. Back before we died -," he slowly raised his hands in a simple display of surrender as could easily tell that he was breaking past her defenses. He knew her every expression and every intimate detail of her form. There was sympathy and interest reading clearly in her dark gaze - he was getting through to her, he was -

Suddenly being plowed in the back with Byleth's front door.

Hubert cried out in shock, more than anything, as he fell face forward onto the ground and Dimitri came racing into the room with his lance held high.

And, judging by the gleam coming off the sharp end of the weapon, _that_ was certainly not a training lance.

"What's going on here?!" Dimitri roared, forcefully directing the tip of his lance against the back of Hubert's neck until he drew a few drops of crimson blood.

"Dimi! It's ok, it's ok -," Byleth looked carefully down at Hubert, obviously conflicted with how to handle the delicate situation that had suddenly unwound. "Hubert was…erm, you see, Hubert -"

"Had a weird dream that concerned the professor," the dark mage hissed aggressively. "I came to talk with her about it and I -"

"Forced yourself into her room? Had your way with her? What, do you think I'm so stupid that I'd be unaware of what you were trying to do to her?!" Dimitri jabbed his lance forward and Hubert groaned out as the spear end again punctuated through the skin of his neck. "You think I can't tell when a man has forced himself on a woman? I'm not so innocent or stupid, I'll have you know, you monster!"

"Dimi! Stop it! Stop it!" Byleth raised her voice and swiftly deflected the prince's lance away from Hubert's neck with her dagger while approaching the blonde savior. "Violence will get us nowhere! Calm down!"

Realizing he had a moment to escape, Hubert instantly forced himself to his feet and prepared to transport himself -

Yet, the moment he tried to cast his magic and vanish from the professor's room, absolutely nothing happened.

_What the - ?!_

"This was a misunderstanding, that's all," Hubert glanced over and realized Byleth was now holding tightly to Dimitri's hand as she calmed the raging boar prince.

Hubert's blood caught fire as he took in the image of his own wife clutching the idiot prince's hand to her chest in a loving manner that she had _only_ ever done for _him._

And, before he even realized he was moving, Hubert was running at Dimitri. He tackled into the prince, ripping him away from his wife's hands, and the two fell backwards out onto the landing and, after a few blows and rough hits, the two rolled down the stairs in a blur of thrashing limbs and vengeful threats.

"How _dare_ you touch her that way!" Hubert growled as he landed on top of the lithe prince in the middle of the grassy courtyard and began striking at his perfect, handsome, two-eyed face. "I'll have your _praying_ to your stupid goddess for forgiveness for doing that!"

After a solid punch at his nose, Dimitri lost his cool and roared ferociously, suddenly bucking his hips and catching Hubert off guard. The prince then forced himself over and on top the mage, restraining his clawing hands, which were now glowing with untamed dark magic, from connecting again with his own face. "Strike me again and it'll be your last!"

"Stop it, you two! _Stop_!!" Byleth's airy voice carried through the warm air like the first cry of the cockerel early in the morning. "Both of you need to stop before -"

The professor never finished her thought, because a sharp voice broke through all the commotion with a single word:

" _Enough!!"_

Hubert and Dimitri froze where they were in the grass, both becoming very aware that they had gathered a decent audience, as the kitchen opened for the day and the students who were on their way to the dining hall found the fight to be far more fulfilling than a nutritious breakfast, of course. But, most alarming of all, Seteth stood only a few meters from them, clearly fuming as he watched the two young men scuffle.

"You two," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "My office, _now."_

* * *

Hubert was seated in the hallway, bent over himself with his face buried in his hands, his mind running through his nightmarish encounter with the blonde prince, wondering exactly how he was going to get out of this situation unscathed.

Byleth would tell Seteth that he had violated her and forced himself on her, which was true and undeniable. Hell, even Hubert knew he had no choice but to tell the truth. And then Dimitri would certainly back his professor up and hash out a valiant retelling of his account where he stepped in between the mage and teacher, as any just and right man should have done.

Seteth would be understandably enraged and probably send Hubert packing. And what then? How is it possible that he mucked everything up _so damn quickly_ that he would now be doomed and entirely unable to fix what would come.

An image of Edelgard in her terrible, monstrous form flashed through Hubert's mind and he shuddered. How could he help put a stop to that if he was forced on his way home and thrust away from Edelgard's side? Did he have a chance to set things right? Was he even the right man for the job? And, most importantly, how would Hubert ever find happiness again after losing his chance with his beloved professor?

The questions kept piling up with no answers in sight.

Hubert groaned and rubbed at his weary eyes, deeply regretting that he allowed his stupid emotions to so easily take the reigns and send him off on a path that probably only made Byleth distrust and dislike him more than ever. And, considering that she was currently teaching their rivalling house, Byleth probably despised him enough already, but now…

Goddess above, would he have any chance at all of redeeming himself in her eyes and winning her love now after that idiotic display?

Hubert clenched his fists and felt a surge of dark magic ripple through his body as his eyes began to tear up and his explosive emotions began to overflow their limit.

And that's when _it_ started.

A burning, ghostly pain suddenly pricked to life on his gloved hands before the feeling began racing up his arms towards his shoulders. Hubert watched in exasperated horror as his arms were apparently lit with an invisible fire that was busy stinging and biting deep into his flesh, while it merrily racked it's way up his body. Suddenly fighting for air, Hubert's vision faded in and out as his hands clenched and relaxed on their own accords. In one last moment of desperation, Hubert grabbed onto one of his hands and ripped off his white glove, as if that would somehow alleviate the pain.

What he discovered left him absolutely breathless.

The pain seemed only to worsen with contact of the cool air, but Hubert was oblivious to the stinging now. He was far too enraptured by the fact that his hands, for one, appeared to have been drenched in black ink, where his fingertips had turned an entirely and unbelievable shade as the very darkest night. As he flipped his hand back and forth, he realized that there was a dark blot growing in the center of his palm and even his fingernails had turned pitch black.

With a hungry interest growing in his mind, the mage rolled up his sleeve and he stared in disbelief at his findings. There were a number of odd, sharp and erratic dark markings that were branching off from his wrist, almost resembling some sort of tribalistic tattoo, but the dark markings were shimmering with an odd energy that sent purple glows radiating up his arm.

He carefully reached out to his forearm and traced one of the longer lines, finding some odd, pain-relieving comfort in the action. In the same manner, he felt his magic calming and settling, at once killing the odd glow in the markings and, thankfully, freeing his body from that tortuous, burning pain of before.

The mage watched as the lines slowly began to vanish into his skin, until only his inky fingertips and dark palm were left.

_What the hell was going on?_

Without giving him a moment longer to think on it, the door to Seteth's office clicked open. Hubert trembled, his nerves completely shaken, and he hastened to fix his sleeve and force his hand back into his glove.

"Thank you for your time, sir," Dimitri exited the office with a curt bow. Turning to pass a vitriolic glare the mage's way, with his freshly black eye and all, the prince then quickly stormed down the hallway and on with his day.

"Hubert von Vestra, please enter," Seteth's silken voice carried out into the hallway and set Hubert's nerves on edge.

His stomach tossed as he robotically stood upright and entered the room, finding himself face to face with the frowning, severe man.

"Sit," Seteth commanded and gestured casually to a seat placed in front of his neat and orderly desk - in the exact same seat that Dimitri sat only moments prior.

Trying to keep his aggressive thoughts at bay, Hubert sat down and prepared for a good lashing.

"You know very well that we do not approve of this sort of behavior," Seteth began, slowly crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke, as if to emphasize how serious this all was.

"Yes, sir, I do." Hubert hung his head, feeling like he was a young boy being reprimanded by his father all those long years ago.

"This is a monastery, first and foremost. We teach etiquette and respect, both of which you clearly lack," the man huffed disapprovingly. "Furthermore, you should also know that, by all means and despite your close relations with Princess Edelgard, I should send you back to your room to pack and head on your way home at this very minute for what you did to professor Byleth and your fellow student."

Hubert winced, preparing for the harshest blow yet to come. "I understand, sir."

"So, now, it should come as no surprise as to why -"

"Please, wait just a moment!"

Hubert's head jolted upwards at the familiar voice, belonging to the very last person he expected to jump to his defense.

_Byleth._

"Professor, do you mind waiting a moment? I have some unfinished business with Mr von Vestra, here," Seteth smiled at the young lady, far more resembling a genuinely kind man than the nearly fire-breathing dragon he had been only seconds ago.

"This has entirely to do with him, so please, allow me to speak before any further harm is done," Byleth locked eyes with Seteth, her emotionless gaze trapping the foolish man at once. "Please."

A rosy tint took to Seteth's cheeks and he waved his hand at Byleth, gesturing her to go on. "Alright, go ahead."

Byleth's eyes met with Hubert's for only a moment before she took a deep breath and continued. "I'm not sure what Dimitri told you but I can assure you that Hubert did nothing. It was all a big misunderstanding that elevated when the two tried protecting me from each other."

Did… did his ears deceive him? Did Byleth outright _lie_ to Seteth about what had happened?!

"Byleth, are you positive? Dimitri told me that -"

She shook her head decisively. "No, nothing happened. The two obviously got into a physical altercation, which you witnessed yourself, but before that, it was all a misunderstanding. Please don't punish Hubert unfairly because of this."

Seteth sighed wearily behind his desk, somehow giving into the words and charm of the young professor. "Oh, alright." He glared at Hubert and dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Do not think you are off scot-free. I will be watching you _very_ carefully, Mr von Vestra. Please, now then, go on your way."

Hubert didn't need a second to dwell on his luck. He quickly stood upright and bowed to both of them, only freezing mid bow for a moment when Byleth's hand came in contact with his positioned at the small of his back, pushing something into his gloved fist. In the next moment, he was backing out of the pristine office and quickly striding across the hall with his mind blank as he began walking across the monastery campus, without aim.

It was then that he found himself in a small courtyard, where a few students were sitting outside enjoying the sun, that he became aware that some small thing was still lodged tightly in his fist. After making sure he was alone, the mage ducked underneath a nearby tree and he looked into his palm, intrigued to find a folded up note resting in his outstretched hand.

He hastily opened the paper and his heart leapt promptly into his throat.

Because there, in the center of the page was a written message that was in Byleth's distinctly angular script and it gave Hubert a welcoming surge of hope that, perhaps, all was not lost.

_Meet me in my classroom at 6pm._

_Only you & me. _

_We need to talk._

_\- B_

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea for a story following Hubert & Byleths' adventure where the dark mage has somehow been gifted with the bizarre power to reverse time whenever he is killed. After witnessing his & Byleths' depressing ends at Edelgard's side, Hubert realizes he must find a way to make peace and stop the war from allowing Edelgard to win, lest he faces the same gruesome end once more.
> 
> So, Hubert ends up allying himself with the Blue Lions in order to stay close to Dimitri & Byleth, for which he is dismissed from the Black Eagles. After some majorly difficult adjustment periods, Hubert must strive forward & fight against everyone and everything he's ever loved & stood by in order to do the right thing &, ultimately, save the world.
> 
> Since posting the first chapter, I've decided to trudge on & get deeper into this story, so I hope you enjoy the ride!
> 
> &, as always feel free to hit me up on tumblr @bare-nok if the mood ever strikes you!


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